The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-20
TIE DRINK EVIL.

l should no! hear, or heed. when nm dead.
LOUISE ChAabLbH MouLrOH,
TIE DRINK EVIL,
How Shall 1t DO Dealt with9-vyhy prohibi.
tion Is Certain To DIsappoint,
To the Editor OF The Iaiellioencer, .r...
SIR: Your very suggeativs remarks on
the liquor question, in a recent Issue Of
the 1NTRLLloRScEn, brings to the surface,
II 1t were necessary to do so, one Of the
most important isaues Of the present day.
Th agitation which has been going on
Tor 80 long a time Tor restricting the sale of
Intoxicating drlnka, and which in these
days, in the hands OF m ardent and an.
thusiaatic got OF men, has assumed the
definite and distinct character Of m avita.
ton for total prohibition Is ono Of great
concern to the community, and tho dues.
ton may yet decide tho ia,o Of presiden.
tial, as 1t has already influenced tho rosujt
Of many congressional and State electjona
1t ia therefore important tina. every onr
who is anxious for the welfare OF bis conn.
try, or with regard Tor his kind, phouLl
consider the question carefully, 60 TINT
when tho test comes he may bear hiuseli
sincerely and intelligently in the pnrt he
shall be called upon to take In the elec.
ton. 1t is in the hops that I NAV be
able to assist somewhat in forming the
minds Of some Of your readers on this
most important question that l have mt
together few ideas thereon which snh.
nit with all due Difference.
There Is no one possessing the faculty
OF observation IN however slight degree.
and capable Of feeling with any degrees Of
intensity the suleringa Of others, but
must be aware Of and regret ths evil and
suffering enpendered in tho human race
by theexcessivo indulgence in intoxicating
drinks. They are apparent everywhere:
they meet uaas every turn. The besotted
husband idling away his life in british
indulgence in the saloon; the ragged and
half.starved children; the careworn. no.
elected and ill-used wife, the borrowing
and heart-broken parents; the daily re-
cords OF crims-assaulta, etabbings, muir.
de.s; the crowded peniten.iaries, those
institutions, reared, 80 10 speak, for tho
reception Of the victims Of this degrading
vice-all these attest with unmistaksble
gertrude the terrible effects OF intemper.
ance in the use Of Intoxicating drinks on
the human race.
In all ages since history began, and
amongst the loweat and the higheat races
OF mankind, the free use OF intoxicants
hss been an evil moro or less prevalent
cccasioning more or leas moral, social and
phyaical injury to those who INDUCED it.
Before the white man came to these
western shores, bringing with him in the
came ship her civilization and her fire
water. The Indian, il would eeen
though ihhvmaN " II. shuse, was moi
enMs!y ,SnafAnt u tho diatl!gtion and
use Of ardent liquors.
But strange as it may appear it in not
amonget savage peoples, stransers to civil.
lzetion, that We must go to find the evil of
intemperance in its most horrible sspects
In the heart OF the nineteenth Century
civilization, in many respects, the most
advanced the world has ever known, it ia
to be found more widespread and pro.
eenting features more hideous than
in any previous period Of the world's
history. 1ntemperauce, indeed, would
seem to be the iuueparable companion ga
it is the irreconcila5Ie foo OF civilization
growing with ita growth, aud strength.
ening with its strength" 1t liz the Luclfer
Of the visible world "wsging eternal war"
against the godike forces, and while il ia
powerless to resist, undoubtedly binders
the advance and blurs rs no other evil
does the face OF civilization. This ia so
apparent that it goes without saying, id
is clear and palpGble to whoever has ewes
10 Gee and cares to hear. All alike must
admit it, from the saloon-koeper TO the
prohib!tioniet.
On the face OF things having in view thu
gigantic evil, and its terrible consequences
the duty OF every man should seem clear
and urgent 10 stamp out the evil in the
ahorteBt and most effective manner posi-.
BILE; to make intemperance impossible by
prohibiting the sale and use altogether OF
Intoxicating drink, in word to be a pro.
hibilionist.
This sanction which universal and time
imnenorlai urage, and that of the great. |
eat moral authority Of the christian world, |
viz: Christ himself, give to tho use Of |
spirits, and the undoubted benefits deriy.
ed thefefrom wneu used in moderation, |
are undoubtedly opposed to any
such pos.ion, but | am in. !
clined TO think that provided, by 60
boing, they would feel certain OF Kidding
civilization Of the terrible cUrae OF intern.
perauce, there are !ew amonpat the intelii. |
gent and humane OF the community who
would permit these considerations TO |
weigh strongly with them in the iace Of
tho gigantic evil.
Tie whole QueatIon, es It appears to me,
hinges OH the wisdom OF attempting to yet
rid oil an evil by taking away, or appear. |
ing to take away, at ono swoop the deep
rooted cursrs that lead 10 it. II We could
BIZ satisfied, IS have said, that the max.
ing OF the traffic OF liquor illegal would
accomplish the end desired the stamping
out OF iutemperance, and that end could
not be reached i'll better way, there
would bU no question "a to tho petition
taken up by tho proslibi,lonis!e, and the
matter once brought homo to the people
in that light, would Immediately receive
solntion At their banda IN q manner That
would crafty the mus: Mdent psohibi.
tionet.
But in all matters pertaining to govern.
meat, in the making OF new laws AM, in
the amendment md abolition OF old ones
in prohibiting this thing, or encouraging
that, and particularly when it is a ques.
ton OF interfering with estAb!Ahod Gus.
tomH: deeply .oated In the political or the
social Bystem, oven though their abuse
given riao to evils Of tho magnitude of in.
temperance, it behooveH ,,s to exercise the
greatest possible care, 30 that while 70.
losing sight OF the evil, keeping it before
our eyes in MI its enormily, We my not
neglect the important all offered by both
past and present experience in simiar III.
tecions, and that foresight which should
accompany every measure OF government,
and without which The best Intentions nre
often Of little avail.
To attempt to suppress m evil 10 m,
always the surfEt way Of getting rid OF IT,